Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sierra Leone, 1998–2024
Source: Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
In 2024, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sierra Leone stood at 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter.
That represents a change of up 12.2% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sierra Leone peaked at 21.47 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998 and was at its lowest, 12.71 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
That places Sierra Leone 95th out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 21.47 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 19.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.3% |
| 2000 | 15.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.7% |
| 2001 | 13.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.0% |
| 2002 | 13.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 14.63 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.1% |
| 2004 | 15.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 15.02 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 13.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.1% |
| 2007 | 14.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 14.93 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 17.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.9% |
| 2010 | 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.5% |
| 2011 | 15.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 13.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.6% |
| 2013 | 14.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.5% |
| 2014 | 14.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 14.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 13.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 13.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 13.77 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 13.97 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 13.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 13.06 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 12.71 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 13.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.2% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for low income countries, which is 18.3 micrograms per cubic meter, 81% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.28 micrograms per cubic meter, 81% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 92 Taiwan 15.01 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 93 Gambia 14.99 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 94 Kyrgyzstan 14.84 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 96 Mozambique 14.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 97 Namibia 14.53 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 98 Poland 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Sierra Leone
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.4 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.39 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.232 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.28 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.72 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sierra Leone?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sierra Leone was 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024, according to Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 21.47 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.71 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Sierra Leone ranks 95th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to air pollution from human sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which can pose significant health risks. This data excludes natural sources of PM2.5, such as dust and sea salt, to focus on human-caused pollution.